Kicking Off Swim Lessons With Goldfish Swim School Ann Arbor

If you follow me on Instagram, you may notice quite a few photos and videos near water. We live near lots of lakes, and my dad lives on one, so our family can often be found at the beach. The only thing is, my kids {ages 2, 4 and 6}, don’t know how to swim!

We’ve done a few swim lessons here and there with my oldest two, but they have been torture, honestly. When we went last year, my girls cried every time. It even made me hesitant to start with my son after our not-so-great experience. But truth be told, I’m ready to shed our Puddle Jumpers.

With how much our family is around water, learning to swim isn’t a choice like sports participation. This is a safety issue — and a must. If they decide they love swimming and want to join a team some day, awesome. But for now, we’re sticking to the basics of being comfortable in water in case an emergency occurs.

When I approached my girls {almost 5 and 6.5} about starting lessons again, they hesitated, recalling how much they didn’t enjoy their experience last year at the public pool. They hated the shower beforehand. They complained the water was too cold. They didn’t want to be forced to jump in with a large group of kids. The complaining went on and on.

Thankfully, Goldfish Swim School to the rescue! Their approach to swimming is all about the kids, and going at their own pace. All of this is easily achieved thanks to smaller class sizes {a max of 4 students per instructor}.

I explained to my girls that we would be making the drive to a different location, with a 90-degree pool and a gentler approach than just asking kids to jump in on the second lesson. They decided to trust me and give it a shot.

So far we’ve attended just two lessons at Goldfish in Ann Arbor, and I am seriously impressed with how organized it is and how GREAT the instructors are with {dare I say} — more difficult kids.

My son is just under three and has had trouble parting from me {he has never been away from me for daycare or school}, but he *still* has been looking forward to going and telling everyone that he is in “schwim class.” To me, that speaks volumes!

The staff has been absolutely amazing and patient, and also great at easing my guilty mama heart and reminding me that this is very typical for his age group. I have no doubt I will see a ton of growth from him in the weeks ahead.

My 4-year-old is usually the tough one to please, and can easily get turned off when pushed too much, but she has been thriving, and truly excited to go each time.

Earning a ribbon at the end is one of her favorite parts. I love that they use this simple motivational tool because kids like mine need it. It’s truly the small touches at Goldfish that can make all the difference.

I can’t wait to share more as our journey progresses! I encourage you to seek out a program in your area and get your children safe in the water.